


Cherry Bomb

by Caiti (Caitriona_3)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25945543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti
Summary: On a rainy night in Brooklyn, Bucky and Clint agree to help out a fellow Avenger . . . and they find their soulmate.  Who says the good guys finish last?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Darcy Lewis
Comments: 28
Kudos: 131
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Charity Hawktion 2020, Darcy Lewis Bingo, MCU Kink Bingo Round 5, Winterhawk Bingo Round Two





	1. Cherry Bomb - the Fic

**Author's Note:**

> Bunch of notes! 
> 
> First off, this was written for Louise who bid at Charity Hawtion on tumblr. Hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Second - chapter 2 will be ART
> 
> Thirdly, I was inspired by several of the Bingo cards I've got:  
> Winterhawk - I5 - Brooklyn  
> Darcy - C4 - Rain  
> Bucky - K1 - Ice Cream  
> MCU Kink - I5 - Licking (Though it's not really kinky. Oops? _*grins*_ )  
> Clint - 3/3 - Gift/Present
> 
> Fourth - it's probably canon compliant through The Avengers (2012), but no promises after that.

[ ](https://imgur.com/YtpbzSg)

James Buchanan Barnes drew in deep breaths of rain-soaked air, grateful beyond words to be outside of the tower. When he’d come in from the cold, he’d isolated himself in the building for weeks to avoid dealing with strangers. That meant he’d only left the tower for missions or assignments, usually somewhere out of the city. Until he learned to balance his two sides, finding a harmony between them, he didn’t feel comfortable risking all of the innocents walking the streets. No matter how much his fellow teammates pushed for him to re-engage with the world.

Of all of them, only one seemed to understand his need to hideout. 

Clint Barton proved to be the biggest surprise of his new life. When Steve and Natasha brought him back to the tower, he’d been met with a variety of reactions from the others living in the Avengers section. He expected that. What he hadn’t expected? To meet one of his soulmates among them.

They’d taken things slow. Neither of them trusted easily and Bucky still expected to have his new life snatched away from him. Eventually their relationship progressed and grew until they’d moved into a single apartment in Stark’s tower. Although they both wore a second set of words on their skin, neither of them felt the need to go looking for their third.

“We tripped over each other,” Clint had noted with a shrug. “I’m pretty sure we’ll find her eventually.”

“Her?” Bucky laughed. “So sure?”

“One, the handwriting’s pretty feminine,” his soulmate pointed out. “And two? We both have a healthy appreciation for a woman’s curves.” A mischievous grin curved that beloved mouth. “It’d be a waste of good taste for our third to be another man.”

All these months later, he enjoyed getting out of the tower with his partner as they explored the city to find restaurants, bars, and other little out of the way spots, far from the Avenger spotlight. Like the Brooklyn of old, people tended to adopt a ‘live, let live’ lifestyle. They might recognize the two men, but they ignored them for the most part, letting them have their space. 

However, last week’s mission went sideways, and Clint spent a day in medical care before being released to Bucky’s supervision – with the warning that he needed to rest. He could gradually return to usual activities, but they wanted him to do it in a slow, easy fashion. So the two men remained in the tower for the week as Clint built his strength back up. Bucky didn’t mind, preferring to be the one helping him rather than trusting anyone else. By the end of the seventh day, though, both men were ready to climb the walls.

So Thor’s call for assistance with his two companions came at the best possible moment.

“Have you met either of them yet?” Clint asked, hands tucked into his pockets as he strolled at Bucky’s side. “Foster or Lewis?”

“Not yet.” Ice blue eyes scanned the street, watching for danger. “They’re usually in the lab and I’m not interested.” Bucky avoided the lab floors of the tower with a single-minded determination. Even when Stark checked his arm, the work took place in the man’s mechanic shop, not his lab. “Why?”

“I haven’t met them either.” 

“Really?” Bucky glanced over at his soulmate, eyebrows rising. Clint tended to get to know everyone in the tower. First because he tended to be one of the more sociable Avengers, but second because he had an overprotective instinct to keep his clan safe. 

“Bad timing,” Clint shrugged. “Never had a chance to talk to them in New Mexico and New York . . .” His voice trailed off as he grimaced. “That was a clusterfuck of epic proportions.” 

“Yeah, but since they moved in?”

“Nat and I got sent out on a job the morning they moved in,” he explained. “When we got back, they’d headed off to look at the stars in Chile.” His lips twitched into a crooked smile, the one that could soothe Bucky during one of his bad days. “And somehow it always seemed to fall out that way. We’d be on a mission while they were home and vice versa.”

“So neither of us have met them,” Bucky concluded. “What are the damned odds?”

“Yeah, right?” Clint shook his head. “Natasha’s met them, but only because she got irritated with the constant near misses. She wanted to form her own judgment, so she took a weekend and trailed them to . . .” He paused, a considering look coming over his face. “Utah.”

“Utah?”

“Apparently Bryce Canyon’s got some great places for stargazing.”

“Huh.” Bucky filed away the information. Not that he had any clue whether it would ever be important, but he’d seen too many pieces of ‘non-essential’ trivia prove to be vital clues to solving one disaster or another. No reason not to keep it locked away in his mind . . . just in case. “And why are we the ones currently walking the streets of Brooklyn to track them down?”

“First, because I’d really like to meet them before another emergency hauls my ass back out of New York,” Clint chuckled. “Second, because you always like spending some time in Brooklyn anyway.” He gave Bucky a look that held an indulgent affection. It would have turned his ears red in the old days, and Bucky could still feel the curl of pleasure in his chest. “And finally,” his partner continued, gaze turning back to the way ahead, “apparently they’re both a little too drunk for Thor to get them home . . . discreetly.”

**That** made Bucky snort. “Can that man even be discreet?”

“Nope.” Clint’s laughter rumbled low in the darkened night. “But there’s indiscreet and there’s internet worthy shenanigans. Thor wouldn’t care – and according to Nat, Lewis would probably laugh it off – but apparently Foster’s less impressed with her face showing up all over social media.”

“So, we’re here to help him get them home,” Bucky nodded.

“Yeah. He’ll fly Foster out, so we’ll just be responsible for Lewis.” Clint tilted her head as they drew close to a small shop with a neon sign on the front. “That’s the place.”

“Doesn’t look like any bar I’ve ever been in,” he noted.

“It’s not really a bar,” Clint laughed. “It’s more like . . . an adult ice cream parlor.”

They walked into the shop and Bucky’s eyebrows rose as he looked around, his nose catching the scent of ice cream . . . and alcohol. “That’s different,” he murmured, his voice low enough to reach Clint alone. “Smells like a blend of a bar and soda fountain.”

“Probably why the sign outside calls it a barlour,” Clint nodded. He leaned back, his shoulder brushing Bucky’s arm. “They’re in the back corner,” he murmured. “And Foster’s definitely drunk.”

His eyes zeroed in on the table in question. Thor sat in one of the seats, looking ridiculously huge at the tiny table. The man’s lips curved into an affectionate smile as he watched his two companions. One of them, a woman with light brown hair, seemed to be dozing, her head resting on her folded arms. The other woman twisted in her chair as she sipped from the straw caught between her full, cherry-red lips. Some of the men in the place watched her with sidelong glances, but she seemed happy to ignore them. 

Not that he could fault the men – thick dark hair framed a gorgeous face and a wicked smile. Add that to the curvy figure, and Bucky figured she made for a pin-up girl come to life.

“That’s Lewis,” Clint added, amusement coloring his voice.

Glancing sideways, Bucky found his partner giving him a look to match the tone. Now, he **did** blush. “I . . . ah . . .”

“Hey, not blaming you,” Clint laughed. “She’s definitely worth the staring.”

“Good thing we’ve both got that ‘healthy appreciation’,” he acknowledged, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “She’s . . . something.”

“Curvy, dark, and breathtaking?”

“That starts the list, yeah,” Bucky laughed, his shoulders relaxing at the words. “Let’s go meet her.”

It took a couple of minutes to wind their way through the crowd, but they slipped around people until they reached the back corner. Thor spotted them halfway through the trip, one hand lifting to acknowledge their presence. Lewis glanced over, but she seemed more intent on enjoying her drink. Foster continued to sleep, somehow managing to ignore the noisy atmosphere.

“Hey, Thor,” Clint greeted as they walked up to the table. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”

“I believe my lady Jane is quite drunk,” Thor nodded. “Lady Darcy, however-.”

“Is quite tipsy,” Lewis allowed, reaching over to pat Thor on the arm. She turned her big blue eyes on Clint and Bucky, shifting her attention between them as she picked one of the cherries out of her drink. As she lifted the fruit to her lips and bit down, Bucky could see a small twitch in Clint’s shoulders. That killed any of the vestiges of shame he might have felt for the attraction – since it seemed to be a mutual thing.

“Tipsy,” Thor repeated, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he held in the laughter Bucky could see trying to escape. He nudged a tumbler towards Clint. “She has been happily indulging this evening. I believe she would get along well with Volstagg. My friends, this is Lady Darcy,” he introduced. “Darcy, I don’t believe you’ve met my shield brothers and fellow Avengers – Clint Barton and James Barnes.”

“Volstagg’s cool,” Darcy shrugged. Turning, she met Clint’s eyes as he picked up the glass. “Life is just a bowl of cherries,” she announced, plucking up the second cherry. “Don’t take it serious, it's mysterious.” Her smile widened as she held the fruit up to him. “Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live and laugh and laugh at love, love a laugh, laugh and love."

Bucky watched as Clint fumbled with the drink, almost spilling it. He understood the reaction – Darcy Lewis just recited the words etched across the younger man’s left shoulder. 

While Clint stared at her, Darcy shifted her attention to Bucky, holding out the cherry to him this time. A bright, brilliant smile curved her lips and he waited to hear her speak the words he’d carried curved around his right bicep for the past two decades. "Life is simple, it's either cherry red or midnight blue."

His lips curled into a small but wondering smile. “I’ll take cherry red, but then again, I’m no fool.”

She blinked at him, rocking back in her chair. “Whoa.” Another blink . . . and then she pointed at him. “That I did not expect.” Still wide-eyed, she turned her attention to Clint. “So, how much does the universe like me?”

He paused for a long moment, intent eyes scanning her face before glancing at her drink. Then his mouth pulled into a slow smile as he toasted her with the tumbler in his hand. “Whiskey is liquid sunshine.”

“Damn.” Her smile returned, that bold and radiant grin tugging at nerves low in Bucky’s gut. “Happy un-birthday to me!”

Broad shoulders straightened as Thor frowned over the scene. He reached out to touch Darcy’s arm. “Darcy?”

“Soulmates, big guy – your fellow heroes are my soulmates,” she explained.

His eyebrows rose, but a smile spread over his face at the same time. “Jane will be sorry she missed this.” He gave the men a look of restrained approval. In his look, Bucky could read both acceptance and caution – meaning the man intended to keep an eye on things until he felt certain of Darcy’s happiness in fate’s choices.

“You just get Janey home,” Darcy laughed. “I’m pretty sure these two can see me safely back to the tower. I want to finish my ice cream float first.” She picked up the glass and pulled out the straw. Holding it up to her lips, she licked off the whipped cream. 

Heat flashed through Bucky at the movement and he heard the sharp indrawn breath from the man beside him. That woman should come with a warning sign – a large, bright warning sign. And from the wicked laughter dancing in her eyes, he could tell she knew what she was doing . . . and enjoyed watching the reactions to her efforts.

Thor laughed and when Bucky glanced over, he found amused understanding in the taller man’s eyes. “I shall take my lady home,” he agreed. Rising to his feet, he clapped a hand to each man’s shoulder. “I will trust Lady Darcy’s wellbeing to you both.”

And any halfwit could hear the warning in that jovial voice.

“Don’t mind Thor,” Darcy chuckled as the man carried his woman out of the shop. “He’s got a big brother complex.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Clint pointed out, sliding into one of the now vacant chairs. 

Bucky took the other, sitting so he could watch the room. “He’s a good man to have at your back.”

“Can’t argue with that,” she nodded. Her attention never wavered from the two of them even as she wrapped her lips around the straw once more. 

“What are you drinking?” he asked.

“It’s a Cherry Bomb.” She paused and giggled. “Now I’m going to have ‘Starstruck’ stuck in my head.”

“What?”

“Lady Gaga,” she replied, not really answering his question. Something she must have realized as she waved it off. “It’s a song. Don’t worry about it.” Twisting in her chair as she stirred her drink, she shifted her attention between the two of them. “You know, you’re both to blame for this drink.”

“How’s that, doll?” Bucky chuckled.

“I got the whiskey from him,” she replied, pointing at Clint who just grinned. “And the cherry from you.” Then she tilted her head as she considered her drink. “Though the drink description is bourbon.”

“Aren’t they the same thing?”

“Yes . . . and no.”

Clint laughed as she seesawed her hand in the air. “To put it simply,” he explained, “all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.”

“Yep!” Darcy chirped her agreement. “Bourbon’s all American . . . and some other rules, but whatever.” She waved her drink in the air. “Whiskey made in the USA and really pretty damn good on the rocks too.” She took another drink. “So, other than you two being the best un-birthday presents I’ve gotten since hitching my wagon to Janey’s train, what do we want to do with this?”

“Take our time.”

Bucky didn’t even have to think about the words. Gorgeous and clearly the type of light both men needed as Darcy might be, he didn’t want to rush this. The relationship he’d built with Clint took time and space . . . and, if fate had chosen correctly for them, he wanted the same type of depth with her. That didn’t come over night.

“Oh, no argument,” she nodded. “Rumors to the contrary, I don’t just hop into bed with people.”

“What rumors?” Clint demanded, eyes narrowing. 

“S.H.I.E.L.D. watercooler gossip,” Darcy replied, rolling her eyes. “They figure the only reason a lowly minion type like me gets to hang out at the tower is because I’m sleeping around.” Sarcasm twisted her smile. “Granted, if you listen to it for too long, you’ll realize they like talking about **everybody’s** sex life.” 

“Typical,” Bucky snorted. “People like to run their mouths.”

“True,” she nodded. “Of course, no one seems to realize the world would have ended months ago if you all were having the amount of sex they think you are.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“Don’t blame you.” She removed the straw, laying it on a napkin, and knocked back the last of her drink. “But never mind them. What’s say we figure out some plans for coffee, dinners, hanging out . . . you know, basic ideas for getting to know each other.” Her eyebrows rose as they exchanged a look. “Because let’s be real – we all know you’re going to get called out to save the world again soon. And if that doesn’t happen, Jane’s going to suddenly decide she needs to look at the stars in Hawaii or something.”

“If she picks Hawaii, I’m volunteering for security,” Clint chuckled.

“Sign me up,” Bucky agreed.

“Maybe we can make it a honeymoon,” Darcy laughed. “But you get my point.”

“Why don’t we discuss it on the way home?” Clint suggested. “I might even know the first place we can check out.”

“Oh?” 

“There’s a great neighborhood café around the corner from the botanical gardens.” When they both turned curious looks on him, he shrugged and finished off Thor’s abandoned whiskey. “Three birds with one arrow as far as I’m concerned.” A crooked smile settled on his mouth. “Darcy gets cherry blossoms – and cherries in her breakfast if she wants. Bucky gets Brooklyn and I get coffee. Win, win, win.”

“I like the way you think.” Darcy reached over to pat his cheek. Then she tweaked his nose. “Let’s plan for that tomorrow, okay?” She looked towards the front of the shop. “I’m up for it, even if it’s still raining.”

“You don’t go slow, do you?” Bucky asked.

“How did Ernest Hemingway put it?” She tapped a finger against her chin. “Oh, yes – never delay kissing a pretty girl or opening a bottle of whiskey.” Waving her hands, she wrinkled her nose a little. “Not quite fitting, but it makes my point.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Kissing a pretty girl, hmm?”

“I won’t say no.”

At her giggle – and the challenging light in her eyes – Bucky turned in his chair until he faced her. Reaching out with his right hand, he trailed his fingers down her jawline to her chin and captured it between thumb and forefinger. With the tiniest pressure, he encouraged her to lean forward. The first brush of his lips over hers felt like the brush of a butterfly’s wings, soft and insubstantial. She pressed closer, the touch becoming more real . . . and very, very **right**. Tilting his head, he slid his hand to the back of her head to pull her in for a real kiss this time.

Satin and full, her mouth felt different from Clint’s, but in the same way, Darcy clicked into place against him. Both of them matched him in their own ways . . . and damn, but they both tasted fucking fantastic.

They separated slowly, lingering over the last brush of lips as their eyes opened, gazes locking together.

“Nice show.” 

The quiet words broke the staring contest and they turned to Clint. A tiny smile played over his mouth, but Bucky could see the hunger darkening his blue-gray eyes. 

“And a damn good kiss.” Darcy touched Bucky’s cheek before turning to Clint. “Your turn, Hotshot?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll take it.”

This time Bucky sat back to watch as his two soulmates shared their first kiss. Even though he still wanted them to take their time, he could feel satisfaction curling through him and settling like a warm pool in his chest. Somehow, someway, he knew the three of them would find a way to make it work. Clearly they had the necessary chemistry. And none of them would have to hide or lie about their jobs – a big damn plus in his eyes. Beyond that, he could see them fitting together, balancing each other out. Fate might have put them together, the words on their skin announcing that destiny, but he sure as hell didn’t have an argument. If these two were the reason for the twisted path of his life? He might even learn to accept it.

Clint would be their haven.

Darcy would be their light.

And Bucky? What would he bring?

His eyes turned back to his soulmates, considering their pasts and presents . . . and he knew exactly what he would bring to this triad. All of them faced danger, possessed enemies – so he would be their protection, their shield. He would destroy anything and everything that threatened them. One corner of his mouth quirked as he watched them end their kiss, smiles appearing on both faces as they slowly drew apart. No matter which life, he’d always been a fighter, a defender – and that’s what he would be now.

Bucky would be their soldier.


	2. Cherry Bomb - the Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here is the art!

[](https://imgur.com/Qi3KBPH)

[ ](https://imgur.com/FWGtBby)

"Life is just a bowl of cherries,   
don’t take it serious, its mysterious.   
Life is just a bowl of cherries,   
so live and laugh and laugh at love,   
love a laugh, laugh and love." 

~ Bob Fosse

**Author's Note:**

> The [Cherry Bomb](https://tipsyscoop.com/products/cherry-bomb) is a real drink! And the alcohol infused ice cream shop is totally based on Tipsy Scoop.
> 
> Quotes used:  
> "Life is simple, it's either cherry red or midnight blue." Lyrics from 'Midnight Blue' by Lou Gramm  
> "Life is just a bowl of cherries, don’t take it serious, its mysterious. Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live and laugh and laugh at love, love a laugh, laugh and love." Quote by Bob Fosse  
> “Whiskey is liquid sunshine.” –George Bernard Shaw  
> “Never delay kissing a pretty girl or opening a bottle of whiskey.” – Ernest Hemingway.
> 
> Irish proverb I couldn't **quite** fit in, though Bucky half alludes to it . . .   
> “Neither give cherries to pigs nor advice to a fool.” Irish proverb


End file.
